I am confused....

I have been following a lot of blogs (mostly mommy, some political) as this election season has heated up. I am confused about some of the comments, especially about the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. I am not going to link to the posts or the comments because slamming a particular person isn't my point.

"She scares me!" says more than one post and many comments. That is usually followed by a comment about her "not blinking" or "flirting" with the camera by winking. Really? That is scary? If someone talked about her political beliefs and disagreed with them, THAT I would understand. I mean, I think Obama is scary because I think he is a socialist and I am scared to live under the kind of socialist regime he would instigate. But that type of comment isn't what they say.

"How DARE she shove her beliefs down our throat," a video showing her asking God's blessing on our troops who are fighting over seas, when she was speaking at a church. Really? THAT is shoving her beliefs down our throats? Obama is always telling the audiences what they/we SHOULD be thinking and believing about everything, but Palin gets castigated for praying, at a church?

"She can't possibly know what it feels like to try to send a kid to college these days, after all, one of her kids went into the military right out of high school and the other (scoff) is getting married because she got pregnant as a teenager. Clearly the Palins don't think higher education is important." I don't even know what to say about this one except to say, out loud, that I certainly hope that the person who said this is never in the position of having her (I think) children ever do anything that is different from what her plans for them might be.

"Her outfits aren't stylish enough/she looks kindof like a frumpy mom." (This is a synopsis of a WaPo newspaper column). Really? That warranted a column? I mean, I know this author is a fashion columnist, but somehow it turned into a political statement. The column continued to compare Palin to Mrs. Obama's "stylish" outfits and Mrs. McCain's "heiress" fashion. Really? Does anyone else think she looks like a frumpy mom? And, who the heck cares?

"She doesn't know what it is like to be a working mom. She has had a cushy job where she can have her child in a crib in her office. Apparently she doesn't have enough to keep her occupied at work if she can watch the baby at the same time." Really? REALLY? THAT is your criticism? That she manages to juggle things and do what works for her family? And seriously, I thought it was the general feminist goal to ensure that women in the workplace could do what they needed to care for their families. Except, I guess, if that woman has political positions you don't agree with.

And if one more person says that Palin's daughter's pregnancy proves that "abstinence" sex education doesn't work, I am going to scream. All that pregnancy proves is that the Palins prefer to carry babies to term. Those people who scoff at teen pregnancy/marriage should look at abortion statistics for teenagers who come out of a comprehensive sex education program. Those "comprehensive sex education" mentality doesn't prevent teen pregnancy, it actively discourages teen motherhood.

Bleah.

If someone wants to have an active discussion with me about Palin's (or any other person's) political positions, fine. But I am sick and tired of having people make arguments against someone based on the afore-mentioned reasons. As I said in a comment to one particularly irritating blog: I don't expect liberals to like Sarah Palin. Why would they? I started out disliking Obama for the same reason I have always disliked Biden, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hilary Clinton (and Bill for that matter), etc. I think their politics stink. And sometimes I think they are underhanded and disingenuous. But mostly I think their politics stink.

But I would never stoop to calling out Barak on his ears, or Michelle on her stupid big pearls that she wears, or Harry Reid on his constantly "poor me" appearance and whiny voice. Honestly. Why are people picking on Sarah Palin about these things? Could it be that there isn't anything else to complain about?

Discuss.